TFCC’s Boyle captures Christman Cup in sudden-death playoff

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Vince Boyle of Torresdale-Frankford CC edged Edward McCrossen, Jr., of Whitemarsh Valley CC in a sudden-death playoff to capture Tuesday’s Christman Cup at Torresdale-Frankford CC (par 70, 6,335 yards).

The home-club hopeful sealed victory on No. 17 (par 3, 190 yards), the second playoff hole, after his tee-shot – a 7-iron – landed about 30-feet from the flagstick. Boyle two-putted for par while McCrossen bogeyed.

  “It feels awesome. I’m just glad that I had a shot at it,” Boyle said. “I was really happy about that. I really didn’t think I had a shot. I figured that I was out.”

  During his first two rounds, McCrossen, of Ambler, Pa., used his 5-iron on No. 17, but found the back edge of the green on both occasions. He switched to a 6-iron in the playoff, but again crushed his tee shot about 50 yards over the green.

  “There’s no way to get up-and-down from there,” McCrossen, 17, said.

  Both players two-putted for par on No. 10 (par 5, 484 yards), the first playoff hole. Prior to the playoff, Boyle, of Northeast Philadelphia, Pa., anxiously roamed around his home clubhouse for about two hours – wondering if his 36-hole total of 148 would hold up. McCrossen had a chance to triumph in regulation, but he bogeyed his 36th hole of the day (par 3, 158 yards) to finish his second round at 3-over-par 73.

  Like Boyle, McCrossen didn’t think he had a chance at winning the tournament after 36 holes.

  “There were a lot of opportunities on the course to make birdies,” McCrossen said. “I started making some bogeys, and I thought 3 or 5-over would win, and I was 7 or 8-over par.”

  Boyle ended his first round with a 6-over-par 76, which included an eagle on No. 10 (par 5, 484 yards). After his drive found the fairway, Boyle drilled a 5-wood about 225 yards and sunk the ensuing 40-footer.

  “I wasn’t hitting the ball that great, but I was making putts, like always,” he said.

  But Boyle went on to bogey four of his last five holes. He intensified his focus for the afternoon session by carding a 2-over-par 72. Boyle fired birdies on his 32nd (No. 5, par 4, 318 yards) and 33rd (No. 6, par 4, 418 yards) holes of the day.

  “I got in a groove,” he said. “I just feel comfortable out here. It’s my home course. I felt confident on the greens. I know all of the reads. I knew I had to score low [in the afternoon], because 6 over wasn’t cutting it.”

  Zachary Herr of Jericho National GC, the reigning Junior Boys’ Champion, held a two-stroke lead entering the afternoon session. The New Hope, Pa., resident rolled in a downhill 40-footer for eagle on No. 16 (par 5, 562 yards) after pounding his second shot – a 3-wood – from 270 yards out.

  “I jammed it in there,” Herr said.

  Herr also registered birdies on Nos. 10 (par 5, 484 yards) and 12 (par 4, 331 yards) in the morning session. He drained a three-footer on No. 10 and an eight-footer on No. 12 after knocking his lob wedge about 80 yards.

   NOTES – Boyle played alongside Aaron Burton of Philadelphia Publinks GA, who defeated him in the Junior Boys’ Championship quarterfinals last month…Only 16 players in Tuesday’s field of 52 made par or better on No. 17 (par 3, 190 yards)…Christopher Crawford of Lu Lu CC, Zachary Dilcher of Hartefeld National and Davis Schaller of Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa each carded a 4-over-par 74 in the first round of play. In fact, Dilcher fired five birdies, including back-to-back-to-back on Nos. 5, 6, and 7. However, the Avondale, Pa. resident registered six bogies and six double-bogies in the afternoon session to finish the tournament at 24-over-par 164…Greg Jarmas of Philadelphia Publinks GA was the only other player to card a 2-over-par 72 in the second round. Jarmas defeated Schaller in a match of cards to finish third.